The Equal Opportunity Fallacy
by Axelrocks
Summary: Penny wins two tickets to a movie premiere, one the guys would love to go to. But who to take? And how to choose? AU. SHENNY
1. Chapter 1

**I never thought I'd write another TBBT fanfic once I finished the last one, but here I am. I have to thank all of the lovely Shenny writers and their stories because I've been rereading all of them and it's made me fall in love with this couple again. I wish things were still as booming in this fandom as they were when I first started writing for it. But I understand why it's slow. I haven't watched the show since like season 5 but I know the gist of what is going on now. Eh.**

 **So, this story is going to be an AU of the early TBBT seasons because I really liked it when it was just Penny and the guys. There's going to be no Leonard/Penny. Amy and Bernadette will also not make an appearance. This isn't going to be a very long story and I got the idea when I started thinking about an event that happened in my other TBBT story, The Artificial Selection Occurence. If you've read it, you'll know what I'm talking about. ;)**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Holding up the two glossy tickets, Penny still couldn't believe it.

In her hand, she held two tickets to the premiere of the newest _Avengers_ movie in _New York_ and it was all expenses paid _and_ she got five hundred dollars in spending money.

Penny had entered the contest on a whim when she had seen it on the back of some cereal box. A few years earlier, she had seen the first _Avengers_ movie with the guys and didn't know a single superhero in it. Now, she owned all the Iron Man, Thor and Captain America movies. Now, she was going to meet all of them.

She was going to meet freaking _Robert Downey Jr_!

Oh God. What was she going to _wear_?

* * *

Hours later, Penny finally calmed herself down (a few glasses of wine had helped). The premiere wasn't for another few weeks, which would give her time to buy a whole new wardrobe if she wanted.

Now that that was settled, Penny had another dilemma. Who would she take? One ticket was obviously for her and the other was for a friend of her choosing.

Glancing at her door and in the direction of Leonard and Sheldon's apartment, where all the guys would be gathered since it was a Friday night, Penny knew they'd all want to go. She couldn't simply just choose right there. She knew the guys and knew how'd they react.

They had once all fought over a movie prop.

Honestly, there was only one person she wanted to take.

*knock knock knock* "Penny."

And there he was.

*knock knock knock* "Penny."

Smiling, she stuffed the tickets in her back pocket and went to stand by the door to wait for her Whack-a-doodle's knocking ritual to end.

*knock knock knock* "Penny."

When he was done, she opened the door and smiled up at her gangly neighbor and best friend. "What's up, Sheldon?"

For a second, his eyes went upward, then realized that it was only a saying. "Hello, Penny. As you know, it's Friday night."

"I know, honey. I do own a calendar." And it may or not be a Batman one.

"Also, as you know, it's Chinese and Vintage Video games night. I would like you to join us, if you are not otherwise engaged." Sheldon had gotten better at asking her for things. He no longer demanded stuff from her.

"I'm doing nothing at the moment, so of course I'll come over." This was the perfect opportunity. "And I have something to tell you guys, too."

"I hope it is not bad news, Penny."

"No, it's not. In fact, I think you guys will like it." _And one of you will_ love _it_.

But which one?

"I'll be over in five minutes, okay?"

"Very well." Without another word, Sheldon turned on his heel and walked across the hall to his apartment. Penny shut the door and leaned heavily against it.

What was she going to do about the extra ticket? She couldn't just go in there and tell everyone that she picked Sheldon to go with her. They would wonder why she had chosen him out of the four. Leonard wouldn't complain until after she left while Howard would be the loudest with her right there. Raj would just keep it bottled up until she left, but would give her puppy dog eyes the rest of the night.

Penny had to think of a way that she could chose Sheldon without the guys getting pissy.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She raced to her room, took out an old notebook and ripped a piece into four sections. On each section she wrote a name. Then, she grabbed her old Cornhuskers ball cap and threw the pieces of paper inside. It was an elementary way of deciding, but she didn't care.

* * *

The seat next to Sheldon on the couch was open. By now, everyone knew that was where she always sat. She was almost anal about, like Sheldon was about his. She'd nearly bitten Howard's head off when he had sat in it last week.

"Hey, guys," she greeted sunnily and plopped down on her sweet. "Hey, sweetie," she said to Sheldon and patted his leg. He no longer recoiled from her touch, so she took advantage of it occasionally.

"Hello, Penny." He gave her a shy smile at being the only one singled out by her greeting.

"So, what are we playing today?" She reached for her container of food and reminded herself to slip Leonard a ten later.

Before moving across the hall, Penny would have never spent her Friday nights playing video games. No, her nights would have consisted of alcohol and men. She'd come a long way since, then.

"Mario Party 3," Leonard answered to her right.

"Since it is only a four player game, Howard and Raj have opted to take turns for each of the mini games." Sheldon held his Chinese food container with deft fingers. "I see no problem with that since they do everything else together, anyway."

The two men glared at him, but he ignored it.

"Sheldon said that you had something to tell us," Leonard spoke again.

"Uh, yeah. It's why I'm wearing the hat." She gestured to the ball cap she'd worn to their apartment.

"You've been drafted to play for the Cornhuskers?" Sheldon asked,recognizing the symbol from a hoodie she had worn before. (She may have also forced him to watch a game or two).

"No," she answered and rolled her eyes.

"You're...moving back to Nebraska," Leonard said slowly.

"No! If I was doing that, I would have made you all guess about a hat."

"Then, what is it?" Howard asked, ignoring whatever Raj had whispered in his ear.

"Well..." Chinese food abandoned, Penny stood and walked around the table so she stood in front of the four guys. "I know, it's probably not a big deal to you guys, but I got these in the mail today." She took out the glossy tickets. She handed one to Raj, so he and Howard could look at it and one to Sheldon. Leonard leaned close to read it.

Raj eeped first, but Sheldon was the first to speak.

"Penny, you've won a trip to the premiere of the newest Avengers movie," he said with reverence.

"I know it's not _Batman_ or the _Flash_ or anything," she said a little offhandedly. If there was a movie coming out soon of one of those two, she'd search every corner of the internet for a way to get that premiere.

"Still it is our beloved comic books coming to alive on the big screen." Sheldon handed his ticket back and so did Howard (reluctantly).

"Yeah, we'd kill to go to that," Howard spoke.

"Well, I hope you really don't because I can pick one of you to go with me." She tucked the tickets safely back in pocket.

"Who?" Three voices cried and one squeaked.

Penny tilted her head almost upside down and slowly took off the ball cap so none of the papers fluttered out. After counting to see that all four scraps were there, she turned her attention back to the four eager boys. "I'm going to pick a name from this hat and whoever is on it, gets to come with. This way all of you have a fair chance of going."

"Why can't you just pick who you really want to go?" Leonard asked, sitting up a little hopefully.

"Yeah," Howard agreed.

Penny glared at the little man in the brightly colored skinny jeans. "This is the only chance you'll get of going, Howard Wolowitz."

"Then, by all means, pick a name," he quickly said and sat back against the armchair that Raj was sitting in.

"Okay, here I go." Penny lifted the cap with one hand above her head and closed her eyes. With the other, she placed it in the hat and felt around for the scraps of paper.

Four geniuses sat forward in their seats. They could hear a pin drop, it was so silent. No one was breathing.

Grabbing a piece of paper securely in her hand, she jammed the hat back on her head with the three other pieces. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and held it open. This was it. The moment of truth.

"The person that gets to go with me is..." She tried hard not to smile. "Sheldon."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for reviewing, favoriting and following this little story. It means a lot and makes me happy that people still like Shenny! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Just as Penny thought, the room erupted. Even Raj, who seemed to forget that Penny was still in the room, joined the raised, complaining voices of Howard and Leonard. Sheldon remained in his spot, in unbelieving quiet.

Penny smirked, he looked speechless. Sheldon Lee Cooper was actually _speechless._

"Penny, you can't be serious about taking him," Howard cried. "I mean, he's going to drive you crazy within an hour of taking off."

Penny shrugged. "He won fair and square, Howard. I could have easily picked your name and even as much as I would want to, I wouldn't take it back."

This quiet Howard and he sat back in his seat, pouting a little. Raj and Leonard quieted down, as well. Sheldon seemed to unfreeze from his spot and looked to Penny. "What," his voice croaked. Clearing his throat, he continued, "What all does this trip entail?"

This was going to be the fun part. "We'll be flying to New York, of course. We'll be staying in a four-star hotel for four days and three nights. Everything is going to be paid for. The day of the premiere, we get to hang with the cast before walking the red carpet with them." Penny fought the urge to squeal. "Oh, and we each get $500 spending money."

Raj passed out in his chair. Leonard and Howard looked like they were going to do the same. Sheldon's face had lost all of it's color. "Is this a bazinga, Penny? Because I fear that this is all too good to be true."

"Believe me, it's true. I checked. Several times."

The lady on the phone had sounded a bit irritated after the seventh time Penny had asked if it was real. So, she had quickly hung up, afraid that they would take it all back and give the prize to someone else.

"So, I will be meeting the man who brought Iron Man to life?"

" _Yes_!" God, they really were going to meet Robert Downey Jr!

"The Incredible Hulk?" He stood.

"Yep!" Penny bounced on her toes, unable to contain her excitement.

"Thor?" He took a few steps towards her.

"Him, too. And get this, Sheldon." She leaned close, like she was telling a secret. Leonard and Howard leaned forward, as well. (Poor Raj was still passed out). "I heard that _Stan Lee_ might even be there!"

For the second time since Penny had known the guys, she found herself crushed in a Sheldon embrace. This one was considerably less awkward than the last and she was actually able to wrap her arms around him. His chin knocked the hat on her head askew but she didn't care. This was a rare moment and she was going to cherish it.

"You definitely have to get us autographs," Leonard said from behind them, on the couch.

"And maybe a picture of Scarlett Johansson, too?" Howard waggled his eyebrows.

Sheldon was the one to end the embrace, but didn't go far. Instead, he straightened Penny's hat and smiled down at her (not a creepy kill Batman smile, either). "Thank you, Penny. Once again, I do not know how I'm ever going to reciprocate this gift."

"You don't have to. But if you do ever win a cool sweepstakes thing, you gotta include me."

"Deal."

"Oh, and here." She handed him the slip of paper with his name in her loopy handwriting. "Maybe you can keep it as a keepsake or something. To always remember this day." She shrugged. "Or you can throw it away, I wouldn't mind if you did."

Sheldon answered her by slipping it securely into his front pocket.

Raj came to, then. "What I miss?" He looked around and his eyes landed on Penny. Frantically, he slammed a hand over his mouth.

Penny shook her head and leaned down to pat his cheek. "You didn't miss anything, honey. We were just going to get started with our vintage video games." She stepped around Sheldon and grabbed one of the Nintendo remotes.

"If we're going to play Mario Party, I got dibs on Princess Peach!" She took her spot in the middle of the cushion.

Sheldon rolled his eyes and sat next to her. "As if anyone one of us would want to select her. The rest of us are males, after all."

She patted his arm. "You never know with Howard, sweetie."

* * *

The excitement of the night had quickly worn off and the five friends played several rounds of vintage video games. On nights like this, Penny didn't mind indulging the boys in their hobbies. In fact, she found them quite fun and it didn't hurt that she was quite good at them, too. (Now, if they wanted her to play _Dungeons and Dragons_ or whatever, she'd have to take a hard pass).

After a few hours, Howard and Raj left and Leonard started to get ready for bed. Penny stood from the couch and stretched. Sheldon followed suit. "I had fun tonight, but I have an early shift in the morning."

"I'll walk you to the door."

"Okay, sweetie." Penny tried hard not to feel giddy. This was only Sheldon being a proper gentleman. Plus, he also probably had questions about their trip. (Penny secretly hoped he'd hug her, again).

When they reached her door across the hall, Penny stopped and turned to Sheldon. "You know, I'm really glad that I choose you to go, Sheldon. Not that I don't like the other guys or anything. It's just, you've become my best friend and I know we'd have a good time."

"You have become mine, as well, Penny." Sheldon stood straighter and clasped his hands behind his back. "And if I believed in luck, I would tell you that I'm glad that I was the lucky name you picked from your hat."

Penny beamed and snatched him up in another hug. He returned this one, too. "Goodnight, Sheldon," she said, stepping away. "We can talk about the trip during Laundry Night, if you want."

"That would be acceptable as I would like to make an itinerary for the trip. If that is...okay."

She smiled. "I know you, honey. It's what you do. So, it's okay with me."

"Thank you, Penny." He shifted a little in place. "Now, I will leave you to get your adequate amount of sleep before your morning shift." He bowed a little. "Goodnight, Penny."

"Goodnight."

With one last smile, Penny slipped into her apartment.

* * *

Sheldon returned to his apartment to see Leonard gathering the emptied drinks from the coffee table. "Found this in your spot, Sheldon." He handed him a small slip of paper. "It must have fallen out of your pocket."

"Thank you, Leonard."

Sheldon took the paper, the one with his name on it. The one Penny had pulled from her hat. He slipped it back in his pocket. "And thank you for cleaning, as well. I will be going to be bed. Goodnight."

"Night," Leonard called to his roommate.

In his room, Sheldon reached into his pocket to take out his piece of paper. He knew it would be impossible to find a frame small enough for it, but he planned to hang it up right next to his Leonard Nimoy napkin.

However, when he reached into the pocket, he was shocked to feel two pieces of paper in there. Rarely did he ever have things in his pockets besides his wallet, which was in his back pocket, and his apartment keys when he was out. So where had this come from?

He saw one had his name on it, so he placed it on his nightstand, knowing that was from Penny. Unfolding the other, he saw that it had his name on it, as well. Odd. Both of them were also written in Penny's loopy handwriting.

Why did she have two pieces of paper with his name on it?

* * *

 **Hmm? (I'm sure you all have already figured it out by now lol)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Sheldon's mind raced (more so than usual) as he stared at the two pieces of paper in his hands. Both had his name and both were written in Penny's flowy handwriting. One had been given to him by Penny, and the other was found on the couch.

Both must have come from Penny's hat. But if that was the case, then had she lied? Penny said that each piece of paper had a name on it, though she hadn't specified _who's_ name were on them. However, she had also told Howard that he had had a chance of going with her to New York.

Tucking the pieces of paper, he walked back out his bedroom door. The only way to get to the bottom of this was to ask Penny herself.

* * *

Penny's heart hadn't stopped beating fast since the moment she had given Sheldon her last hug of the night. Walking to her bedroom was like floating on air (and yes, she knew how cliche that sounded and didn't care). The two of them would be spending the weekend in New York meeting famous people.

Slipping of the ballcap, the smile instantly faded when she saw only two pieces of paper inside. There was supposed to be three. _Crap._

Maybe she had dropped on her way to the room. Frantically, she followed her tracks back to the door, glad she had thought to clean up her apartment a bit, but didn't find the scrap of paper. Maybe it was in the hallway. Hopefully, Sheldon had walked right past it, thinking it was trash and unwilling to touch it.

Penny threw open the door and came face to face with Sheldon, whose hand was raised to knock.

"Oh. H-Hello, Sheldon. Forget something?" She tried to act as unsuspiciously as possible while trying to peer at the hallway past the lanky man. No paper, which meant it had to be in the boy's apartment. _Crap_.

"No, I did not forget anything, Penny. But I believe you did."

 _Crap_.

* * *

"No, I did not forget anything, Penny. But I believe you did."

Penny's eyes widened in bewilderment and shock when Sheldon held up the two pieces of paper. His suspicions seemed to be proving true. She quickly ushered him into the apartment and shut the door behind them.

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No. What is it exactly that I am not supposed to be telling?"

"That I had your name in their twice." There was something off in the inflication of her voice, like she was trying to hard to cover something up. Over the years, he had compartmentalized the different tones of Penny's voice.

"Were there still four pieces of paper in your hat?"

"Yes."

"Whose name did you omit?"

Penny cocked her up and raised an eyebrow. "Whose do you think?"

So, Howard had not had a chance of going to New York. If Penny was telling him the truth. Somehow, he knew she wasn't. "May I see the other ones?"

"I threw them away."

Sheldon recoiled. He may have changed a little over the course of the last few years, but digging through the trash was something that he would _never_ do. Unless, his Leonard Nimoy napkin somehow found it's way into one, but that would never happened because it was framed and placed on the wall in his bedroom.

He was getting a little off track.

"Penny, I would ask you to retrieve them from the trash, if they were really in there."

Her mouth gaped open and closed for a few seconds. "But...they are?" The last of the sentence was spoken like a question and Sheldon knew that he had gotten her. If she had been telling the truth, she would have been quick to defend herself.

"Fine," she said after a moment and retreated to her bedroom.

Sheldon stood by the door, hands behind his back. When she returned, she thrust the hat at him and he plucked the two pieces of paper inside and like he suspected, both had his name on it.

"But why?" He asked. "You could have just said you wanted me to go."

Penny plopped down on her aqua couch. Sheldon followed and sat to her left, just like he did in his apartment.

"Leonard would have pouted, Howard would have complained and Raj wouldn't be able to speak to me unless he was drunk. I just wanted them all to think that they had a fair chance of going so they wouldn't bug you about it or me."

Sheldon saw the merits in that plan and would have most-likely done the same if their roles had been reversed. "I see. Then, it was a good idea."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. Why would I be? It seems that whatever you had decided to do, I still would have been the one to go with you. Excellent choice, by the way."

Penny smiled and laughed softly. "I thought so, too. You're my best friend, so you deserve to come with me on this awesome trip."

"You have been mine, as well, Penny. You have been since the Arctic."

Penny didn't have to ask why and that was because she understood. The guys may have been the ones to retrieve him from his mother's, but she had been the one to force them to go and had been the one to comfort him. Leonard's chances at being with her had flown out the window the moment his betrayal had been found out.

Sheldon stood from the couch, then. "I should return to my apartment. Hopefully, Leonard has not noticed my absence. Especially, since he has already seen me come back from your apartment."

Penny stood and reached for his arm. "You can _not_ tell him about the pieces of paper, Sheldon. None of them."

"You know how I am with secrets, Penny," he whined slightly.

"I know, honey. Just don't say anything unless they ask you directly, okay? And if they do, I'll straighten them out. I can just picture how Howard will react."

"I can, too." Sheldon sighed. "Very well, Penny. I will do my best to keep this secret. Please don't be mad at me if they find out."

"I won't. Just try your hardest, okay?"

For some reason, when Penny gave him that look, the one where she smiled at him softly and affection for him shown in her green eyes, Sheldon thought he could do anything. He could keep this secret, for her. If not, he was going to try his hardest.

"All right, Penny. I will."

Sheldon found that his right hand seemed to have a mind of his own because he watched as it came up and cupped Penny's cheek. She looked just as surprised as he felt. Quickly, he snatched the appendage back, said a rushed goodbye and fled from the apartment.

Fortunately, Leonard was already in bed when Sheldon returned. The secret would still remain a secret tonight. Fleeing to his room, he changed into his pajamas and slipped into the bed.

Instead of thinking about formulas, theories or Spock in the moments before sleep took him, all Sheldon could think about was how soft Penny's skin had felt under his hand.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The next morning, Penny skipped into their apartment at eight, with her Wonder Woman mug and went straight to the coffee machine. Sheldon had started it, never knowing when his neighbor and friend would get up on a Saturday. Leonard always took the opportunity for the day of unscheduled plans to sleep in until at least nine.

"Good morning, Penny," he greeted.

"Morning!" She chirped, in a cheerful voice normally not heard from her before eleven.

Grabbing his empty cereal bowl, he made his way to the sink. "Not that I'm complaining, Penny, but what has you so cheery this morning?"

"I don't know. I woke up feeling well-rested for once." She did a little shimmy as she watched the coffee pot fill with coffee. "Plus, I have an audition this afternoon after my short shift and I feel totally confident about it."

"That is very good, Penny. Being your best friend, I am required to tell you to 'break a leg'. Please do not take this in the literal sense. I would not like to drive you to the hospital again."

That night would be forever ingrained in his memory, even if he didn't have an eidetic one. Hearing Penny's cries of distress and seeing her lying in the bathtub in pain had nearly caused his heart to stop beating. His mind had gone through all the different scenarios that could have occurred. Penny could have slipped and hit her skull on the porcelain edge of the tub, giving her a mild concussion or worse. She could have fallen and broken one of her appendages, instead of dislocating her shoulder.

So many things could have been worse when Penny slipped in that tub. It was why when Leonard returned from his camping trip, he had demanded to be taken to the store. There he had bought her adhesive daisies, which had looked much like her Penny Blossoms.

"Sheldon, honey, I've lost you."

Sheldon came back to the kitchen, hand stilled in the process of washing his bowl. "I am sorry, Penny. I was just thinking about an equation I have been working on." Her back was to him so she did not see the tic under his eye, just as he wanted.

"So, what is this part you are audition for?"

She turned and gave him a smile. "It's a secret."

It had been the biggest secret Penny had ever had to keep. After all, it had come to a shock when her agent had actually gotten her an audition for this part. Hadn't she read that Brie Larson or Emily Blunt were wanted to play this role? But it seemed they had wanted to test out a few unknowns before committing to one of those actresses.

Well, Penny was going to be the best unknown they had ever seen. She wanted this part. She wanted it _bad_.

At night, she'd picture the looks on the boys' faces when she told them and she'd fall asleep with a smile so big it hurt. If they had looked surprised at the mention of meeting the cast of the _Avengers_ , how would they react to her secret?

"Penny, I've lost you."

Now, it was her turn to come back to the kitchen in 4A. The coffee pot had long been filled and now, Sheldon was standing a few feet from away, waiting for a response.

"Sorry, Sheldon. Got lost in my mind for a moment."

Grasping the handle of her coffee, she filled her mug and then, moved around to the refrigerator. Inside, a small bottle of hazelnut creamer waited. Since she spent most mornings stealing coffee from Leonard and Sheldon, she kept her creamer in their fridge.

"This part you are auditioning for is a secret?"

"Yep."

"Why, may I ask?"

"Because it's for a part in a movie that I think you guys will watch. I don't want you all to be disappointed if I don't get it." _Which wasn't going to happen because she was_ so _getting it, dammit_!

"Then, I wish you luck."

"You don't believe in luck, Sheldon."

"But you do."

Penny's heart skipped a beat. To distract herself from her feelings and those gorgeous blue eyes, she took a sip of her coffee...and nearly burned her tongue off.

"Crap!" Somehow she had managed to spit the scalding, dark liquid into the sink and not all over the floor and Sheldon. The lanky man should be proud.

"Are you alright?" He fluttered around her. "Would you like me to fetch you an ice cube for your tongue?"

"No, sweetie. I'm fun. I just won't be able to taste things for a bit."

"I've told you numerous times that your caffeine addiction can be dangerous," he huffed a little smugly.

She rolled her eyes. "It's just one burned tongue, Sheldon. I live." She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and side-stepped Sheldon on her way to the couch.

"So, what are you watching?"

Sheldon put away his cereal bowl and joined Penny on the couch. "I just finished watching a few episodes of _Doctor Who_ , like I do every Saturday morning. Would you like to watch more with me?"

Penny shrugged. "Sure, I have a about an hour before I have to leave for my shift."

"Excellent." He picked up the remote from the coffee table and pressed play.

Leonard joined them an hour later, still in his robe. He looked just as shocked to see Penny on their couch so early in the morning. Instead of asking why, he just sat with them on the couch, with his coffee and watched whatever show they were watching. He had to admit that it was nice to sit in a comfortable silence like this.

However, the silence didn't last long.

"So, what do you all do on Saturdays, anyway?" Penny asked after washing her coffee mug. Sheldon had paused the current episode of _Doctor Who_.

Saturdays, the only things Sheldon had planned was Doctor Who in the morning and laundry in the evening. Sometimes, he worked in those hours in between or watched his favorite movies or tv shows.

"Kind of whatever we want," Leonard answered. "Unless, Sheldon wants to fly kites or something."

"Today, it is not windy enough for kite flying, so I supposed we will spend the indoors. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "Just curious, I guess. Most Saturdays I work all day, so I don't see what you guys do."

"We'll most-likely do nothing," Leonard spoke. "Howard and Raj may come over to hang out but that's it."

Penny hummed in affirmation. Then, her eyes went wide. "Oh!" Turning to Sheldon, she poked his arm. "You're going shopping with me at some point this weekend. Most-likely tomorrow."

Sheldon made a scandalized noise. "I will not."

"You will to. You need a new suit for our trip to New York and I'll need a new dress for my first time on the red carpet." _And hopefully not my last_ , she added silently.

Sheldon glared at Penny and Penny glared right back. Leonard snickered into his coffee at the scene, wondering who would win. (His money was on Penny).

"Penny, you know how much I detest shopping. I have all the clothing that I need."

"So, do you plan on wearing your suit without pants again? I don't know how Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans would like that." She sighed. " _And_ if you buy a new suit, I'll buy you two new superhero shirts. A new store opened in the mall I'd think you like."

Sheldon didn't look like he was going to budge, but after a few minutes his face softened. "Very well. I will go with you to buy a new suit."

Penny, unable to contain her excitement, launched herself at him. "Thank you, sweetie." She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a couple seconds before settling back in her seat.

Leonard waited for the angry words Sheldon would throw at Penny for touching him or the mad dash to the bathroom, but neither one happened. Maybe his friend was growing, after all.

"I don't understand why you enjoy 'dressing' me up, Penny.

"Because you have so much potential." She got up and patted his cheek. "I'll see you later, Sheldon. Bye, Leonard." With that, she all but sashayed out the door.

"Of course I have potential, Leonard. I have an IQ of 187." Sheldon turned to look at his friend on the couch. "I don't understand how that has anything to do with clothing shopping."


	5. Chapter 5

**Super short chapter, sorry. It's probably not that great either, but it's something.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Penny floated through her shift at the Cheesecake Factory, mind elsewhere. If the audition went well, and she was chosen to play the part, she wouldn't have to work here, anymore. It was a lead in a _Marvel_ movie.

As she poured drinks and gave out plates of food to her customers, she couldn't help thinking about the chance of her landing the part. It was _Marvel_ , which was known for their awesome movies. (Hello, _Iron Man? Avengers_?). The list could go on. But her agent had said that they weren't sure how well this movie was going to do in the box office, so the budget for it was significantly lower than other movies.

If things went well (and she was chosen), then it would be for a multi-movie deal.

 _A. Multi-Movie. Deal. With. Marvel!_

Chris Pratt had become a household name because of them (but to Penny, she always had a soft spot for the guy on _Parks and Recreation_ ).

When her shift ended, Penny felt as if she hadn't just worked several hours. Instead, she still felt like she walking on air. All morning, she had hyped herself up for the audition. She was going to _rock_ it.

* * *

Rushing home, she took a quick shower and worked on making herself presentable. Well, more than presentable. On a whim, she ditched her dressy red top for a Captain America one she had bought at the mall a few days ago. Maybe the people at the audition would see that she was serious about getting the role.

Penny was slightly disappointed when she walked into a room full of blondes. Most were taller and more built than her. She didn't even think about the type of physique they were looking for. She did work out, but more cardio than anything.

A woman, who looked like she could bench press Penny walked by, and Penny had to stop herself from staring at the woman's massive biceps. It was too late to think about her own, _much_ smaller arms.

Giving a small smile to the woman next to her, Penny whipped out her phone and typed out a quick message. _Wish me luck!_ She texted to both Sheldon and Leonard, since they were the only two who knew about the audition. (And honestly, she wouldn't have put it past Howard to GPS her phone and show up. After all, it was a room full of _blondes_.)

 _You got this, Penny! Break a leg._ This was from Leonard.

 _As I have already wished you luck this morning, Penny (which is pure hokum, by the way), and I am only allowing myself to say one illogical thing a day (for your sake, of course), I will say that I hope that your talent gets you the part._

 _I believe in your talent more than I will ever believe in "luck"._

Penny reread the message and couldn't really decide if Sheldon had complimented her or not. After all, he didn't believe in luck, so did he just barely believe in her talent? She allowed herself to think about it for a moment and decided that Sheldon was being nice.

 _Thanks, Leonard :),_ she replied to Leonard.

 _Thank you, sweetie,_ she typed to Sheldon _. I hope they believe in my talent, too. I REALLY want this part, Sheldon. You have NO idea._ Penny knew he'd be a little annoyed with the unnecessary capital letters, but she didn't care.

 _I have some idea, Penny. The unneeded capitalization in your message informed me._

 _;)_

That was all she had time to reply with, though, because a bored looking woman with a clipboard called her name. Penny stood, took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders and followed the woman.

Penny auditioned like her life depended on it and didn't allow herself to bothered by the neutral faces of the people seated before her. She was sure that when she finished, at least one would quirk a smile.

Or she hoped they would.

A few minutes later, she finished and looked to her small audience. The expression on their faces hadn't changed and Penny felt her heart sink a little. They did not look impressed. Maybe she would not be getting the part.

" _Captain America_ , huh?" One of the men asked. A burly looking man with a face full of red beard. "You actually seen any of the movies?"

Penny wasn't sure if she liked his tone, but answered him anyway."I own them."

"Hmm." He rubbed his chin.

"My neighbors are comic-enthusiasts," Penny said, picking her words carefully (nerds would have not gone over well, she knew). "And they've kind of sucked me into that world a little. I'm not an avid reader, but I do know a little."

She really hoped they knew she was telling the truth and not trying to butter them up.

"Who are the original Avengers?"

 _Easy_. "Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk." She watched the bearded man smirk and she faltered a bit. He was trying to trick her. Well, she'd show him.

"Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk," she repeated and looked right at him. "Ant-Man and Wasp."

Finally, smiles broke out across the table.

"She got you good, Red," an Asian man at the other end of the table laughed.

Seriously. His name is Red?

"Well, thank you, Penny," the woman in the middle of the table spoke. "That was surely entertaining. We will contact you if you are chosen for a callback."

"Okay. Thank you."

Feeling a little light-headed and sick, Penny exited the room. She didn't even notice the other blonde women as she past them and headed out the building. It had been an odd audition, but she hoped it had been a good kind of odd.

* * *

Penny treated herself to a pizza (which she would NOT be eating all by herself. No sir. Not her. She had a figure to maintain, after all). With one hand on the pizza box, she used the other to fish her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door.

The couch was calling her name. She'd been on her feet all day and they had chosen that moment to start complaining, loudly. However, Penny wanted to get comfortable before chowing down on her supper. So, she placed the pizza on the counter and went to her room to change into her comfiest pajamas.

Which were her Batman ones and _no_ , she hadn't thought of Sheldon when she bought them.

Flopping on the couch with her food, Penny turned the TV on and was about to hit input, to play whatever DVD she had in the player, when she noticed a familiar group of superheroes on her screen. The first Avengers was playing and Penny decided to sit and watch it.

"Just think," she said to the empty room a little giddy. "I'll be meeting them in real life."

* * *

 **Sooo...anyone see the new Star Wars? I've seen it 3 times already! :) Love it. Anyways.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Pizza half-eaten (okay, maybe three-fourths eaten), Penny shut the TV off, shoved her remaining dinner in the fridge and made her way to the bedroom to retrieve her laundry basket. It had been a long day, but she and Sheldon had a routine, and though he'd never admit it, Sheldon would be upset if she didn't show up for Laundry Night.

While there, she'd discuss their plans for tomorrow. She was going to take him shopping.

Which would most-likely prove to be another long day.

Hopefully, they'd find Sheldon a suitable pair of pants, quickly and then, work on finding her something suitable to wear. Maybe she'd dangle the promise of a visit to the comic book store in front of him. Sheldon wouldn't be able to resist that and would hopefully not be a huge pain in the ass while at the mall.

Penny loved the Whack-a-doodle dearly, but sometimes she wanted to slap him.

Walking into the laundry room a little bit later, Penny glanced at the clock and saw that she was five minutes late. However, Sheldon didn't say anything. Just raised an eyebrow at her and continued to load the washer.

 _Good_ , she thought as she set her basket down on a washer and dumped its contents into another. This earned her another eyebrow raise from the tall, lanky man in the room with her, but not words. _He's learning_.

When Penny turned to face her friend, once she had started her wash, she was shocked to find him standing closer to her and with his arms awkwardly outstretched. Now, it was Penny's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What are you doing, Sheldon?"

"Since you did not visit us after your audition, Penny, I have come to the conclusion that it did not go well. So, I am offering a hug to comfort you."

Penny was flattered. It wasn't often that he offered her a hug. "The audition went really great. I just wanted to come home and relax a bit before Laundry NIght." She didn't mention how she had almost scarfed down a whole pizza.

"Oh. Well, then." He moved to place his arms back at his sides, but Penny stopped him.

"I'll still take that hug, though." She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him close. Her head fit perfectly under his chin and for one brief moment, she thought she felt Sheldon place his cheek against his hair. But then, he was pulling away from her.

At least, he wasn't scrambling to sanitize himself.

"So, it went well, then?" He tried to lean casually against one of the washers.

"I think so. They asked me a few comic questions."

"Like what?" This peeked Sheldon's interest, like Penny knew it would.

"Who were the first Avengers?"

Sheldon groaned a little. "Please do not tell me that you answered with the Avengers from the _movie_."

" _No,_ I didn't." She punched him lightly in the arm. "I've been hanging around you guys too much to not know the answer to that." She crossed her arms. "And they seemed pretty impressed."

"They probably did not expect such an attractive woman to know something like that," Sheldon spoke, almost nonchalantly. However, his words made Penny pause.

"Aw, Sheldon did you just say that I was pretty?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "You _know_ that you're 'pretty', Penny."

"It's still nice to hear from you, though." She hopped up on one of the dryers and stuck her tongue out at Sheldon when he gave her a look.

"So, do you know when they will inform you about getting the part?"

"No. I don't know how I'm going to function until they do. I _really_ want this part, Sheldon."

"So you've said multiple times today alone."

She made a face. "Can you blame me for being excited...and nervous?"

"I think I would understand it better if I knew what exactly this part was."

Sheldon was trying to Penny's secret from her, but she would be strong. She was not going to let him know she got the part. She was going to get the part, dammit! "I'm not telling," she said. "You'll just have to find out once I get that phone call."

"I'm sure that when I hear your shrill scream in my apartment, I will know the outcome," he smirked a little.

"Or I could be screaming over a spider that you'd have to kill for me." She smirked right back.

"You know my answer to that, Penny." This time he glared. Sheldon didn't like to kill anything...himself. He'd always yell for Leonard or Penny, whoever was closer. Penny hated any type of creepy crawlies, so half the time it would be Leonard to the rescue, and finding the two huddled on the nearest high surface.

"Sometimes, I really hate you guys," Leonard would mutter before squashing the offending insect.

"So, tomorrow, we'll go shopping right after my morning shift," she said. "And don't say you're not going because you agreed to it earlier."

"You mean, you forced me to agree," he huffed.

"Fine. Do you want to meet Iron Man _without_ your pants?"

"I'd prefer to meet him while wearing my vintage Iron Man shirt," he countered.

"This is a red carpet event, Sheldon!" She exclaimed. "You can't wear _normal_ clothes. Well, your kind of normal clothes, anyway."

"I suppose I should get used to it, then," he muttered, not looking happy. "After all, I am sure I'll be accompany you to _many_ red carpet events."

Did he just-? Was he applying-? Did he think she was going to become a major movie star?

Penny launched herself at Sheldon, giggling a little at his wide, frightened eyes before wrapping him in her arms and squeezing tight. Sometimes, he could be so cute.

An hour later, Penny was lugging her laundry up the stairs and saying goodnight to Sheldon. Once she closed her apartment door behind her, she moved to her room, slid the basket into the closest and flopped on the bed, exhausted.

Tomorrow, she would go to work and then, come back to take Sheldon shopping.

It was going to prove to be an interesting day.

* * *

The breakfast shift on a Sunday was normally busy and Penny pocketed pretty decent tips. She spent most of it filling coffee cups and bringing out plates of eggs and bacon. After her shift, she rushed home and scrubbed the scent of sausage and grease from her body before knocking on Sheldon's door.

She was way more excited than she should be.

Sheldon answered the door and behind him, Penny spotted Leonard, Raj and Howard on the couch, playing some video game. Without taking their eyes off the screen, they said hello.

For once, Howard's creepy gaze stayed off her.

"See, Penny, this is what I'll be missing while we're out _shopping_ ," Sheldon huffed, unhappy.

Penny rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, you do this stuff everyday. You're not missing anything."

"And we all know that if you really want to stay, nothing would be stopping you!" Leonard piped up from the couch and gave Penny a mischievous grin before returning his eyes to the tv screen.

"If I refused Penny, she would probably go to my mother. _Again_."

Penny elbowed him in the side. "We both know that I promised not to do that again, unless you tied up my underwear." She glared up at him. "So, unless you have something to show me, then you don't have to worry about me calling your mother."

Caught, Sheldon started grumbling, "Well, are we going to leave or not?" Behind him, Leonard was smiling triumphantly. Fortunately, the other two were too engrossed in their game to have noticed anything.

"Hey, I was waiting for you." She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him out into the hallway. He continued to pout as they made their way down the stairs. Instead of being annoyed, Penny felt a little smug.

Arriving at the mall, Penny saw that it was busy, which made Sheldon's pout even bigger. She wondered if she'd have to drag him inside.

"The quicker you find some suitable pants, the quicker we leave," she told him. "And if you behave, maybe I'll take you to the comic book store afterwards."

This brightened him a little and he fell into step beside Penny.

While they were mostly out for Sheldon, Penny made sure to keep an eye out for suitable dress for the red carpet.

It didn't take long for Penny _and_ Sheldon to agree on a pair of suitable pants for Sheldon's suit. Honestly, Penny thought it should have been easier. Sheldon's suit jacket was black, meaning the pants should be black to match. Not red, plaid or, God forbid, _powder blue_.

"We are not stepping out on the red carpet looking like a prom couple from the _seventies_ , Sheldon!"

"Neither one of us was born in the seventies, Penny," Sheldon called from the fitting room. "So that makes no sense." He emerged, blue pants folded over an arm.

Penny rolled her eyes and reached for the offending article of clothing, briefly wondering if the store would notice if they suddenly went missing. Meaning, would they notice if she shoved them in the nearest trash can.

"Does this mean we can leave now?" Sheldon asked, once he was finished paying for his pants.

"I guess. Unless, you want to help me pick out a dress."

Instead of protesting right away, lIke Penny thought he would, Sheldon said, "If you would like my assistance, I suppose I could help. However, I'm sure that my sense of 'style' and yours are completely different."

"Believe me, sweetie. I _know_." She shifted her purse on her arm. "We don't have to look long. I planned on going out separately to look for one. I know how precious your time is, Sheldon."

"Why, thank you, Penny." Of course he hadn't caught on to the sarcasm and she wasn't going to say anything.

They stopped at a few stores in the mall and Penny skimmed the racks. "I was thinking maybe my dress could have a theme." She glanced up at him. "Maybe like one of the Avengers. Do you think that's too cheesy?"

"No. I believe that's a brilliant idea."

Of course he wouldn't think it was cheesy. He had wanted to wear an Iron Man shirt for when he met Robert Downey Jr.

"Hmm, I was thinking an emerald dress with sky high, gold heels."

"Loki's color scheme, then?"

"Or a red dress with those same heels."

"Iron Man."

Penny smiled, secretly. This was fun. "A navy blue dress with a white belt and red flats."

"Captain America."

"All black."

Sheldon had to think about this one for a moment. "Black Widow?"

Penny nodded. "I still haven't decided what I'm exactly looking for. So, I think we should call it a day. I can go home and looked online for something. Save you another shopping trip." She winked.

Before heading back to Penny's car, they stopped at the food court and grabbed something to eat. Well, Penny did, anyway. Sheldon refused to eat anything any of the restaurants had to offer.

Penny hadn't been surprised.

Later, they were in her car and on the way to the comic book store. Sheldon's knees jiggled with excitement. No matter how many times a week he went to the shop, he was always excited to go. Like a little kid and Penny found it enduring. (She felt that way every time she was able to splurge on Starbucks.)

Instead of heading right for the racks of comics when they walked inside the store, Sheldon went right for Stuart, who was sitting behind the counter. He looked like he normally did, like his life sucked.

"Guess what Stuart," Sheldon spoke.

"I-"

Sheldon didn't let him finish. "I will be attending the _Avengers_ premiere."

Stuart's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes. Penny won two tickets to go and she chose me to go." There was a slight twitch on Sheldon's face, but telling Stuart that his name was picked from a hat was clearly not important.

"That's amazing, Sheldon!" Stuart gasped, clearly looking envious. "Any chance I can send you with a stock of comic books to be signed?"

The way he asked, Penny wasn't sure if Stuart was serious or not. If he was, she could see why he would want Sheldon to do it. Those comic books would sell for a fortune.

"Sorry, Stuart. I can't. I am there to meet them, not have them sign several items of paraphernalia."

Penny walked up to Sheldon and clasped his shoulder as she looked at Stuart. "And that it was what I call growth. A year or two ago, he'd be packing up every Marvel collectible he had to be signed."

Sheldon sputtered a little and Stuart smiled in agreement.

"Come on, honey," Penny said and guided him away from Stuart and to the stacks of comic books. "For coming with me, and buying a new pair of pants, I'll buy you one comic book."

"All right, Penny. I'm sure I can narrow my choices down to one."

Penny rolled her eyes, already knowing that would be impossible for him. But she was feeling generous today.

* * *

 **I had a bit of fun with the dress part. I, for one, would definitely wear a dress with a Loki theme. ;)**

 **P.S This Avengers premiere will be about the latest movie (which I've seen twice already. My heart!) and it turns out that the ending fits perfectly with this story. (Maybe some of you will figure out the part Penny is auditioning for, now).**

 **Thanks for reading!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the looooonnnnngggg wait.**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Sheldon and Penny parted ways at the landing of their apartments. Sheldon had invited her over for dinner and a movie. Penny could hear the rest of the guys through the door playing a vigorous round of some video game.

"No thanks, sweetie," she declined. "I have work in the morning and kind of want to take a soak in the bath for awhile." She'd showered earlier after work, but it had been a long day and her feet had started to ache again.

Sheldon's cheeks pinked (almost as if he had pictured her in the bath, but Penny was going to ignore it because there was no way that's where his mind had gone because _Sheldon_ ). "Okay. I will see you tomorrow. Thank you for the comic books."

"You're welcome. Thank you for going shopping with me."

"I'd answer with the popular 'anytime', but then I'd be lying."

Penny snorted a little. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Possibly. Did I do a good job?"

Penny patted his arm. "You made me laugh, honey. I think you did."

Sheldon beamed. "I believe I am almost ready for stand-up, now."

"Joke?"

Sheldon looked down at her, completely serious. Penny held back a groan, preparing herself to burst his bubble. Then-

"Bazinga!"

Penny didn't even get irritated at the slightly annoying catch phrase of his. She just smiled, patted his cheek this time and went to her door. "Goodnight, Sheldon," she called over her shoulder and slipped inside her apartment.

She left a trail of clothes to the bathroom where she started filling the bathtub with hot water. Closing the toilet seat, Penny set her phone on top of it, just in case she got any phone calls. Her audition had only been yesterday, but she was eager for some news.

It was almost like she'd had a premonition because the moment she slid into the hot, steaming water of the tub her phone rang. Luckily, she hadn't gotten her hands wet and was able to reach for her phone with ease.

"Hello," she answered, not all bothered that she'd answered the phone while naked. She'd had multiple conversations on the phone while lounging in the tub.

"Is this Penny?" A female voice asked on the other line.

"Yes. Who's calling?"

"Angela Hawthorne. I was sitting on your audition, yesterday."

There had only been one woman at the table for her audition. She hadn't spoken much, not as much as _Red_ , but she had seemed in charge. Immediately Penny's heart started to beat faster. This was it.

"Yes, I remember."

"We were impressed with your audition and would like you come back for a callback. You will be one of five finalists and will be auditioning with the male lead to see how well you play off one another."

Penny was hardly listening, though. She'd gotten a _callback_ for a _Marvel_ movie! She wanted to scream, but she didn't want to scare Angela or risk dropping her phone.

"The audition will be set for Wednesday. Will you be available?"

"Yes," she answered quickly. Even if she wasn't, she'd make herself available.

This was for a _Marvel_ movie!

* * *

Sheldon had just sat down in his spot to watch whatever movie Leonard had picked when he heard his name being shouted through the door. His friends turned to look at him, eyes wide.

"What have you done this time?" Leonard asked, voice shaking as if he was afraid of Penny possibly barging through the door.

"I haven't done anything," he answered. "I just left Penny's company ten minutes ago."

When Penny shouted his name again, he noticed that it didn't sound angry. In fact, it reminded him of the last time she'd shouted for him through four doors. It had been when she had fall-

Sheldon shot from his spot and raced across the room to the apartment door. Then, he raced through Penny's door. He didn't even knock, remembering last time. When he ran into Penny's room, he nearly collided with her and froze when he saw she was in a towel. _Only_ a towel.

"Penny!" He exclaimed and covered his eyes. "I thought you were hurt. I thought you fell in the shower, again."

"Sorry, sweetie. It's just that I got a callback to that movie. I'm one of five finalists!"

"Congratulations, Penny," he said, sincerely. "But did you really need to scream for me from across the hall? A simple phone call would have sufficed."

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I was just so excited."

Sheldon heard her opening drawers and hoped that she was getting dressed. He was growing tired of keeping his eyes covered.

"It's a _huge_ movie. If I get the part, you'll understand why."

"I'm sure I will. I'll get it at this moment if you tell me the movie now."

"Sorry," Penny said and he felt her lightly pinch his arm. "It's a secret until I know for sure if I get the part or not."

Sheldon rolled his eyes but accepted the fact that Penny would be keeping this secret for the long haul. "All right. Now, do you need any further assisstance? I would like to return to the movie going on at my apartment."

"You're free to go, sweetie."

"The invitation is still open. You may join us, Penny."

"Thank you," she smiled. "But I'm going to relax here for the rest of the night. Maybe do my nails or something. You may join me, Sheldon," she repeated his words with a teasing grin.

Sheldon made a face. "No, thank you, Penny."

"Okay. Goodnight, Sheldon. I'll see you later." She went on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "And thanks for coming when I called. Again."

"Just don't make it a habit, Penny," he spoke, trying to sound stern. "It distresses me to think you've been harmed."

"I'll only yell for you through my apartment when I'm hurt. I promise. Anything else, I'll call or text."

"Thank you, Penny. I appreciate it. Now, good night." He made his way to the door.  
"I hope Leonard had the common courtesy to pause the movie or I will have missed half of it. It'll no longer be worth it to view it any longer."

Penny only laughed softly and patted him on the back as he left her apartment.

* * *

Tuesday night, Penny felt sick.

She had returned from her shift at the Cheesecake Factory, where she had served Sheldon his cheeseburger and had jumped into the shower. Her plan was to go to bed early so she got up early to practice more for her audition.

But as she laid in bed, all she could think about was trying _not_ to throw up.

Throwing off the covers and slipping into her slippers, Penny reached for her phone and dialed Sheldon's number. He was going to be mad at, would probably ignore her all tomorrow for waking him up, but she really needed her mind to settle and speaking with Sheldon would do just that.

"Penny, I hope you have a good reason for waking me up," Sheldon said as a way of greeting. His voice was rough and more Texan.

"I can't sleep, Sheldon."

"Now, you have made two of us."

"I'm sorry," she said and meaning it. "Since you're up, now, can you meet me in the hallway?"

"Penny...," he sighed.

"Please."

"Fine," he begrudgingly agreed. "I should be there in five minutes. Goodbye."

When he hung up, Penny slid her phone into the pocket of her pajama shorts and went to the kitchen. In the fridge, she had a bottle of wine that she hadn't opened yet. She grabbed it and two glasses.

Drinking a little would help her sleep, but she hadn't wanted to do it alone. However, in all honesty, she knew Sheldon wouldn't drink, so she would still be drinking by herself, but someone would still be there.

Well...maybe.

Sheldon was already in the hallway when Penny walked through her door. He didn't look too happy about it, either and when his eyes fell on the wine, he sighed. "Penny, please tell me you didn't wake me up so you could try to make me drink."

"I didn't. I promise. Can we go up to the roof? Please."

"Very well."

Penny led the way, forever grateful to Sheldon. He could have turned and walked back into his apartment and bed, but he hadn't.

The night air was cool when Penny stepped through the door. She waited for Sheldon to step onto the roof before dragging a cinder block to prop the door open. The last thing she wanted to happen was for them to get stuck up there.

Sheldon walked over to the edge of the roof and Penny followed. She set the bottle of wine and glasses on the ledge between them. Sheldon glanced down at the wine and looked out at the city.

"You may pour me a _small_ amount, Penny."

Penny wanted to hug him, but kept her hands to herself. "Okay, sweetie." She poured about two swallows in his glass and filled hers halfway.

She watched as Sheldon brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. He made a face, but didn't spit the liquid out. Instead, he took another sip before setting the glass down on the edge.

"So, what is keeping you up, Penny?"

Penny swallowed a drink before answering, "The audition tomorrow. I'm to run lines with the main male actor. What if I get so star struck that I don't do well."

"You will just have to remember this is your job, Penny. You have to be professional. They will not want an actress who is just going to faun over the male lead."

Penny took another drink before sighing. "I _know_ , but what if it's Johnny Depp?"

"Hm. You do love Johnny Depp."

"I do love him," she agreed.

"But you will still need to be professional while acting alongside him. Afterwards, you can go into a bathroom and screech or whatever that sound you make is when you see something you love.

"Also," he added. "You will be able to 'fangirl' when you go to the _Avengers_ priemiere. I know of several actors there that you are particular fond of."

"Like Robert Downey Jr?"

"Like Robert Downey Jr."

"And Chris Evans?"

Sheldon sighed, " _And_ Chris Evans."

"Also, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sebastian Stan, Chris Hemsworth, Chadwick-"

"Penny," Sheldon stopped her with a hand on her wrist and an exasperated look on his face. "I understand."

"I know," she smirked. "I like to annoy you, sometimes."

"Only _sometimes_ , Penny?"

"Hmm," she hummed and smiled at him over the rim of her glass. The wine was starting to make her feel warm, but it would take a little more to make her tipsy. So, she finished her half glass and filled it halfway again. She needed to pace herself.

Sheldon finished his in one last, disgusted gulp and waved off any more when Penny offered the bottle. "I only said I would have a small amount, Penny."

She pouted a little, but put the bottle down. "Thank you for coming up here with me, Sheldon. I didn't want to be alone."

"This is what best friends do," he said. "Please don't make it a habit, though. My work will surely suffer if I do not get my required amount of sleep."

"Don't worry. Once I know if I got this part or not, I shouldn't have nights like this."

"Would you like to go over the scene you've rehearsed for tomorrow?"

Penny almost agreed, but stopped herself. "Sorry, Sheldon. If I do the scene in front of you, you'll know the movie instantly."

"You still won't tell me?"

"The moment I get the part, I will." She reached for his hand and squeezed. "I promise."

"I like that."

Penny blinked a little. "Like what?" He had to know she'd tell him no matter what.

"That you said you were getting the part. Not if."

Penny felt her face heat for a moment. For some reason, it sounded so unlike Sheldon to say something like that, but she liked it. Setting down her glass, she gave him a brief hug.

"I like it, too."

* * *

 **When I started writing this, the movie Penny was auditioning for was only rumored. Now, it's about to come out. (You all probably know what it is now). I don't know if that will change what I had planned for this story. We'll see, I guess.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so sorry for the wait! Chapters should be coming in a little faster now. However, they still won't be often. :(**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Jude Law.

The male lead was _Jude Law_!

Penny nearly froze in the doorway, script slowly crumpling in her hands. Fortunately, the A-list actor had his back to the blonde and hadn't watched her gaping fish routine. The read through might have been over before it even began.

 _"You have to remember this is your job, Penny. You have to be professional. They will not want an actress who is just going to faun over the male lead."_ Sheldon's words echoed through Penny's head.

Closing her mouth, taking a deep breath and unclenching the booklet in her hand, Penny walked confidently the rest of the way into the room. The two people sitting at the table looked up causing Jude Law (!) to turn around.

"Good afternoon," she greeted. Her voice didn't shake once. Not even when Jude Law focused his entire attention on her, or when he stuck out a hand.

"Good afternoon. I'm Jude."

Penny resisted the urge to say 'I already know that' and to not swoon over the sexy British accent. "Penny. Nice to meet you." Penny had said that phrase so many times throughout her life. Most of the time, she didn't mean it. This time, she did. She _definitely_ did.

"Thank you for coming early, Penny," Angela, the one who had called a few days prior said.

"It was no problem." After all, she hadn't slept much the night before and had been up at the crack of dawn doing her makeup and rehearsing the scene over and over (and over and over).

"All right. If you are both ready,"Angela addressed the two of them. "We would like you to over the scene we discussed earlier."

Penny took a deep breath.

 _Showtime._

* * *

Penny felt like she was floating on cloud nine as she walked out of the room. Behind her, the two directors and Jude were talking quietly and Penny knew it was all good things about her. Never before had she nailed an audition so well.

So lost in her thoughts, she bumped into the next girl going in for her audition. Glancing up, she quickly apologized. The woman gave her a tight-lipped smile, said it was okay and walked into the room.

The blonde woman had looked familiar.

Penny sent off a quick text to Leonard. _Who was that actress in that 1 movie we watched last week? The one with Loki and that giant monkey. Cuz I think I literally just bumped into her._

For some reason, Penny's optimism didn't die, even though an actual actress was auditioning for her part. If she did lose out the part to her, at least it would be to someone who had starred in multiple movies and not someone trying to make a name for herself, like she was.

When Penny returned to her building, she found that the boys were all waiting in Sheldon and Leonard's apartment to hear about her audition. That made her tear up a bit. However, when they saw the tears, they all thought the worst.

Howard went for the tissues, Sheldon the hot beverage, Leonard patted the empty spot beside him and Raj silently let her know that he was there and willing to listen. This only made Penny cry even harder. At time, she could harsh on the boys but they always came through for her.

"Here you go," Sheldon said softly and handed her a steaming cup of her favorite tea.

"Thank you, sweetie."

Howard placed a box of tissues on the table and took a seat on the floor beside the chair Raj was sitting. Penny placed her tea down to grab a few tissues and wipe her eyes. "Thank you, guys. Really. But I'm not sad."

"Then, why were you crying?" Sheldon asked. The three other men must have all had the same question because they turned her way and waited for an answer.

"I'm really happy. I didn't think you all would be here to listen to me talk about my audition."

"Well, Penny, you said it was important to you," Leonard spoke up.

"And you've always been around when he spoke about our achievements," Howard added with Raj nodding in affirmation.

"You guys are the best." Penny had to swallow back more tears before she really started freaking them out.

"So, how did the audition go?" Once again, Sheldon asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to.

"I think it went great," she said excitedly. "And I'm not saying that because I know that's what you all want to hear. They brought in the male lead today and I totally didn't freak out when I saw him."

"Who was it?" Howard asked.

"Can't tell you. Knowing you guys, you'll know the movie once I say his name and I want it to be a surprise for if I get the part."

"You mean when," Leonard added with a smile.

"Yes, Penny," Sheldon said. "It seems we are all in agreement in thinking that you _will_ get this part."

For the second time in the span of twenty minutes, Penny burst into tears.

* * *

Penny knew that she would not hear from the casting directors for a few days. so she immersed herself in online shopping. She still had no idea what she was going to wear to the premiere.

"I wish I knew if I got the part or not," she muttered to herself as she scrolled through page after page of dresses. The cart icon in the corner indicated over a dozen dresses waiting to be purchased. "If I got the job, I'd have enough money to get all of them."

The premiere was in two weeks. If she got the part in the movie, then filming would start in a month and sometime next year, the movie would be released. There was a possibility that she would have a red carpet event of her own and people would try to win tickets to be there.

Penny squealed and shut her laptop. Now, she was hyped up. She wanted to do something, she wanted to get out of this small apartment and _do_ something. What, she didn't know yet. So, she rushed across the hall to 4A and practically threw open the door.

Sheldon glared at her from his spot, remote in his hand to pause whatever he was watching. From what Penny saw, he was the only one in the apartment. "Where's Leonard?" She asked.

"With Howard and Raj. They didn't tell me what they were doing. Most-likely something I wouldn't approve of."

"So, it's just you?"

"Do I have another roommate that I am not aware of?"

Penny smiled at his use of sarcasm. "Let's go do something, then."

"What would you like to do?"

Shrugging, she collapsed onto the couch. "I don't know. I just want to get out of my cramped apartment."

"Well, you're now in my apartment, which is not cramped," Sheldon said. Penny knew he was trying to be helpful, but this wasn't what she wanted to do when she came over her.

"I know. Maybe we can do something outside."

Sheldon blanched at the idea. The only time he didn't mind going outside is when he played paintball and then, he was so layered in protective clothing that the sun or bugs couldn't get to him.

"Oh! There's a new restaurant that just opened down the street and they have outside seating. Let's go."

Sheldon fixed her with a look. "There are several things in that sentence I do not agree with. Should I list them?" He didn't wait for Penny to answer. "One, you said it's a new restaurant, meaning I know nothing about it. What kind of food do they serve? What is the state of their kitchen? Do the cooks wear gloves? And the list goes on. Two, you said down the street, which implies we will walk. And three, you wish to sit outside. I do not like the outside."

"Sheldon," she begged. "Please." She even went as far as to pout. "Who knows how much time I'll have to spend time with you if I get this part." She was laying it on thick, but the more she talked about thought about the new restaurant the more she wanted to go. The more she wanted to go with _Sheldon_.

Seconds ticked by as they stared at one another. Penny still pointed and Sheldon glared. Then, finally, Sheldon sighed. "All right, Penny. But please allow me to finish my movie before we go."

"Of course!" Penny made herself comfortable on the couch and tried not to look too smug.

"I don't understand why it seems to be hard to say no to you, Penny," Sheldon said as he pressed play on the remote.

 _Maybe it's because you like me_. One could hope, anyway. Though, Penny had to admit, Sheldon did have an obvious soft spot for her. With that bit of knowledge, Penny allowed herself to look even more smug as she snuggled deeper into the couch.

* * *

An hour later, Penny was happily telling a waitress what she would like to order as she and Sheldon sat outside, covered by a bright red umbrella. The weather was nice, the food looked appealing and Sheldon didn't look irritated.

"Isn't this nice?" She asked, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Do you want me to lie or tell you the truth?" Sheldon's shoulders were hunched a little and he kept eyeing a seagull that was eating from trash can across the street.

"Oh, come on, sweetie. It's not that bad."

"Very well, it's not." No twitch. "The choice of food seemed good and my water doesn't taste like it came straight from the tap."

Realizing that was the best Penny was going to get from Sheldon, she patted his hand and smiled. "I'm really glad you came. I like hanging with you, just the two of us. We're going to have so much fun at the premiere."

"Yes, I am quite looking forward to it, as well."

"Especially since you get to be with me," Penny teased.

"No, especially since I'll get to meet Stan Lee." There was a ghost of a smile on Sheldon's face as he took a sip of his water. "And maybe a little of it is because I will be with you."

Penny gave him a bright smile. He was getting better at teasing. It no longer seemed like he was just looking down at her. "You know, this could possibly be a practice run for future red carpet events."

"You're right. When I finally win the Nobel Prize, I'm sure there will be a red carpet."

Penny couldn't argue that. "Yes, there's that _and_ if I get this part, there will be a red carpet for that, as well."

"Will Stan Lee be at that red carpet?" Sheldon was fishing for information, but Penny wasn't going to fold. Not until she got that call.

"I don't know," she answered and took a sip of her water.

Sheldon looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but their food came and he focused all of his attention on making sure that every bit of his order was correct.

It was. And when they left, he even mentioned going there again. Penny smiled at her success in getting him to try something new.

After they departed ways on the fourth floor. Penny went to her laptop on the living room table and decided to resume her online shopping. Her email icon blinked with a new message and she quickly clicked on it when she saw it was from Angela.

 _Good evening_ , Penny, it started.

 _Friday evening, we will be finalizing our decision on who will get the part for our movie. We like to tell all who auditioned when they might get a call so that we can remind you of the contract we had you sign. If word leaks out to the press about the movie or any actors involved, you will be held accountable for legal actions._

 _We recommend that you be alone when we call. We understand that a movie of this magnitude is a huge deal to those who may receive parts and will be quite hard to keep to oneself. I stress again that if any information leaks to the public, you will be held accountable. That does not mean you are completely forbidden to speak about it. We understand that significant others or close friends will wish to_ _know where you will be spending an incredible amount of time. We ask that you bring those you wish to tell in to sign an NDA agreement. This way all fault will not fall on you if information is leaked._

 _Good luck, Angela Hawthorne_

Penny's heart pounded as she finished reading. It didn't mean that she had the part, but it was becoming more real that she could be. She only had to wait three more days. She could do this.

* * *

 **Captain Marvel is the one Marvel movie I have not seen and honestly may not see (not a huge fan of Brie Larson. Sorry!). So, I'm going to be kind of making up things as I go. If this bothers anyone, I apologize.**

 **Also, I am not fully aware of how an NDA works so if I sound crazy in that email. Sorry.**

 **Oh, can any guess what movie I was talking about when Penny texted Leonard? ;)**

 **Thank you for reading!**


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